How to Save a Life

Gorgeous Alternating Viewpoints of Two Scared Teenage Girls Whose Lives Collide

This is one of the best YA novels, or novels, period, that I've ever read. Sara Zarr does a masterful job of alternating viewpoints of two scared teenagers, Mandy, because she's pregnant and embarking on a new life, and Jill, because her father has died ten months ago and she's still very unmoored from losing him. When Jill's mother, Robin, decides that she should adopt a baby and finds Mandy online, their lives collide, and this book, told in alternating chapters, lets us in on their present lives as well as what has come before. Neither dominates the story, but instead these two very different girls, Mandy having grown up in a broken home, mostly a longer, Jill, who has creature comforts and had friends (before she pushed them away) and a boyfriend, as they grudgingly learn about one another. The writing here is gorgeous, and I don't want to say too much more about the plot, other that it unfolds perfectly, with just the right amount of information, some of it shocking, some of it sad, some of it humorous. I cried multiple times and while the ending is wonderful, I'd love to see another book with these characters; I didn't want to let them go. I highly encourage you to read this. It deals with sensitive topics, among them teen pregnancy, not as "issues" per se but as very human stories, and Zarr makes the reader sympathize with most every character we meet, not just Mandy and Jill.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

VERY GOOD!

DEFINITELY A MUST-READ! :D

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended!

I loved this story. It's told by two very authentic characters with distinct voices. It's a grief story with depth and heart.

Highly recommended for fans of YA contemporary!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review from Blkosiner's Book Blog

How to Save a Life is an emotional, character driven novel, that I found myself very much enjoying.
The two main characters, Jill and Mandy are very different, from their backgrounds, their views on life, and their attitudes toward life. This book smashes them together under the weirdest of circumstances, and I slowly learned more about them and why they act the way they do. Ms. Zarr did a wonderful job making their voices distinct, and unlike some books with dual perspective, I had no problems switching from one to another and keeping the characters individual.
I could identify pieces of myself in both characters, but I didn't fully relate with one or the other. Meaning that I didn't understand some of their trains of thought like I might if I just fully connected/related with one character. (Reading this it sounds like a negative thing, but its not... none of it is in the writing or characterization, I think that Ms. Zarr did a terrific job, I'm just trying to convey that I'm different from the characters--hope that makes sense.) I admire the strength in Mandy, and the self-realization and the courage in Jill--even if it's a very hard road for her and those around her as she comes back into herself.
This is a very neat take on teen pregnancy, adoption, and even has an interesting love triangle twist. I was very surprised at how some things turned out, happy at others, even if I did expect it, and left wanting to know more about the characters and what happens next even after the last page... And I say that in a good way, I was attached to them, and did not want to let them go! I think that the plot lines were well tied up and I was satisfied with the ending, I just wanted to know more if that makes sense.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A recommended read!

I recently got this book for Christmas. I was so excited to learn about the girls' stories. After finishing the book I was already wanting to read it again. This is a GREAT story about two different girls trying to find their path in life and how those paths cross later on.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly recommended

Really liked this book of relationships: mother & daughter grieving loss of husband/father and moving forward; daughter's grief screwing up her peer relationships; unwed teen-age mother escaping her homelife. Makes you think about your own relationships, value family & friends, and encourages you to reach out to others. Great read for young adults and book clubs.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Live To Read

The two main characters, Jill and Mandy, could not be any more different. Jill is slightly too analytical while Mandy can be a bit of an airhead. Jill has a loving mother and stable home while Mandy is traveling from place to place with no stable home or loving mother. Jill has lost her father recently and still mourns while Mandy is about to give birth to new life.


This book has a character for everyone. Between Ravi, Dylan, Mandy, and Jill the reader should be able to identify with at least one character. Their feelings are raw and exposed, this book is full of them and they are very pronounced. The reader is likely to get annoyed with all of the characters at some point in the story, but it takes a good writer to evoke any sort of reaction from the reader. The events in this book range from fast-paced to everyday scenes lapsing into quiet reflections. This book would be great for young adult/teen readers.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

IT'S THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!!

I absolutely loved this book! I read it about 4 months ago and of all the wonderfulbooks i have read in my life,this one is by far the best!

an interesting read

Jill MacSweeney wants to go back to the life she had before. But that's impossible because her father was alive before and now he isn't. She had friends and a boyfriend before and now she can barely talk to anyone without biting their heads off. She and her mother had Jill's dad to bridge the gap between them before. Now all Jill has is her mother making the insane decision to adopt a baby after exchanging a few emails with the mother. How can anything be normal with 'that 'looming?

Mandy Kalinowski knows she might not be the best mother for her baby. That's why she was so happy to find Robin--an older woman with a stable life who wants a baby to love. It should be the perfect arrangement. Except Robin's daughter seems to hate Mandy on sight. And as her due date looms closer and closer, Mandy starts to wonder if making the right decision for her baby might not be as simple as she thought.

As Jill and Mandy get to know each other, everything starts to change. The question is will the changes make things worse or better in 'How to Save a Life' '(2011) by Sara Zarr.

'How to Save a Life' was an interesting read. At the beginning of the novel Jill is so angry and Mandy is trying so hard to manipulate everything to go her way, that it was initially quite hard to connect with either character. I even skimmed to the ending because I was uncertain of if I wanted to finish the book. Still, I persisted and even with that sneak peek at the outcome, this was an interesting read.

Zarr's writing is eloquent and does a great job bringing Mandy and Jill's landscapes to life. Unfortunately, Zarr packs so much into the story with Mandy's complicated past and Jill's grieving that ultimately both characters feel thinly drawn because so much is happening rather than well-developed because of it.

Watching Jill and Mandy's transformations throughout the story was interesting if not earth shattering. It was also refreshing to see some present and engaged parents in a YA novel (along with the more expected horrible parents). How To Save a Life' does manage to take a potentially predictable book in an unexpected direction with characters that always feel real.

Possible Pairings: 'Where She Went' by Gayle Forman, 'Drawing the Ocean' by Carolyn MacCullough , The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta, A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell, How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford, 'Wherever Nina Lies' by Lynn Weingarten

AMAZING AND TOUCHING!!!!

This book was amazing! It allowed you to know what each charactor felt like. It touched me in so many places!! If this doesnt touch you somewhere, then i dont know what would. I recomend this to teenage girls. I'm one myself and it was amazing!!!! I hope you buy this and enjoy it as much as i did!!!

By Anonymous

BEST BOOK EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I believe this is one of the best novels I have ever read. I wou

I believe this is one of the best novels I have ever read. I would recommend this book to anyone that is a teenager and willing to read a book including drama and reality. How to Save a Life has left my on the edge of my seat at times and other times almost in tears. This book is a perfect example of relationships, it shows a mother & daughter grieving loss of husband or father and moving forward to her daughter Jill’s grief screwing up her peer relationships. I agree on the earlier post on Barnes and Noble. Com with the user VSMN, the book does make you think about your own is relationships between family and friends, and encourages you to reach out to others who may be in the same position or situation as you. Jill’s mother influences you in many situations to think about death, love, or adding a new family member. Jill makes you also think about love, what life is like independent and on your own without a father, and makes you think about how to deal maturely with certain situations. Also, I think this book is perfect if you are grieving yourself, or if you need a book to relate to what you, yourself is going through.
I believe that Jill’s mother taught her how to be a fighter for what she believed in. She always made her stronger and kept her up like a mother would do. I believe this because in one of the quotes Jill says her mom has always told her, “The squeaky wheel may always get the grease, but it also gets the grief.” Without Jill’s father being around I believe that Jill’s mother is trying her best to keep Jill under control and giving her life lessons as best as she can.

My favorite character would be Jill because I think she has a very outgoing personality and reminds me of myself. I think she has a very mature aspect on life since her dad’s death and it has shown that it has made her stronger. For example, when dealing with her friend’s drama, her own drama, or family drama Jill always has something to say to bring her up in the best way possible.

My favorite quote is “No one measures a life in weeks and days. You measure life in years and by the things that happen to you.” (Zarr) I really like this quote because it really reaches out to me and is based on something to live by. I think this quote connects to the fact that you have to look at the things you accomplish in your life to make you whole, not the little things that occur in weeks and days. When we measure life, we have to look at the big picture, and not the little details inside of it because those little things aren’t what structures our life and they don’t make it complete.

This book was very addicting, I loved it!

Such a great storyline, I was very hooked on it and couldn't stop! I do reccomend this book for teenage girls.

Sounds great!

I have not actually read the book yet but I did read the sample and the book looks great! I wish the sample was longer and I cant wait to get the book

Realistic Teen Fiction

Sara Zarr writes lovely and realistic YA. The two main characters are two very different teenagers, yet both voices ring true and while we might not share their particulars loves and tragedies, we easily identify their pain and hope in ourselves and others we know.

Spoilers - can anyone answer this question?

A good book that left me with a lot of unanswered questions.
Why would Mandy name the baby Lola? It makes me question everything about her as a narrator - and I was already wary and felt I could not really trust her. I am referring to the very famous classic novel Lolita, where a stepfather has an affair with his very young stepdaughter, whom he calls Lola. There's no way the author doesn't know about the book Lolita. By naming the baby Lola, I think it makes some disturbing suggestions about Mandy and Kent.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Ahhhhhhhhh

Omg i love this book i cant put it down!!!!! I have all ready read it 2 times and this is my 3rd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly recommended

I just finished this book and honestly it was a truly amazing book! Its really interesting and a truly moving story! Totally recommended for reading!

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